An Innocent, a Broad
By Ann Leary
2004
First Published
3.81
Average Rating
256
Number of Pages
Ann Leary's hilarious, poignant, surprising, and heartfelt memoir, An Innocent, a Broad, is a phenomenon—a fascinating, hugely entertaining chronicle of two simultaneous, unexpected of a baby and a major show-business career. When Ann and her husband, then unknown actor-comedian Denis Leary, flew to London in the early nineties, neither anticipated the adventure that was in store for them. Ann, in her second trimester of pregnancy, looked forward to a carefree mini-vacation in England before the onset of motherhood. Denis saw his upcoming appearance on a BBC comedy program as the opportunity he needed to rocket his career forward. Although they had packed for only two nights, it would be five long months before they would be able to return to the United States. Ann's premature labor began the morning after the couple arrived in London and she suddenly found herself an unwitting yet grateful hostage of Britain's National Health Service—a stranger in a strange land, abruptly plunged into a world of breast pumps and midwives, blood oxygen levels, mad cow disease, and poll-tax riots. Desperately worried about the health of their tiny, prematurely born son, Jack, Ann struggled to adapt to motherhood and make sense of a very different culture while, simultaneously, Denis found himself an overnight sensation on London's comedy scene. At once an intimate family memoir, a lively travelogue, a touching love story, an inside look at the entertainment industry, and a side-splitting comedy of errors, Ann Leary's An Innocent, a Broad is an utterly engaging and unforgettable look at the bizarre twists and hairpin turns one can encounter on the road of life—whether that road winds through a familiar neighborhood or a frustratingly foreign land.
Avg Rating
3.81
Number of Ratings
1,178
5 STARS
23%
4 STARS
44%
3 STARS
27%
2 STARS
5%
1 STARS
1%
goodreads
Author
Ann Leary
Author · 7 books
Ann Leary is the author of the novels, THE CHILDREN, THE GOOD HOUSE, OUTTAKES FROM A MARRIAGE, and the memoir, AN INNOCENT, A BROAD. Her bestselling novel, THE GOOD HOUSE, has recently been adapted as a motion picture starring Sigourney Weaver and Kevin Kline. Ann’s New York Times essay, “Rallying to Keep the Game Alive,” was adapted for Amazon Prime's Modern Love TV Series and stars Tina Fey and John Slattery. Her work has been translated into eighteen languages and she has written for numerous publications including Ploughshares, NPR, Real Simple and the New York Times. Her new novel, THE FOUNDLING, will be published on May 31, 2022. Ann and her husband Denis Leary live in New York.
